Have you ever felt like learning English is taking longer than it should? You study new words, practice grammar, and listen to native speakers—but when it’s time to speak, everything still feels difficult.
Here’s the real reason: You’re not speaking enough.
Most language learners spend 90% of their time studying English and only 10% using it. But fluency happens in the reverse—you need to spend 90% of your time actually speaking.
Instead of focusing on memorizing endless vocabulary lists, shift your learning time:
✔ 80% of your time should be spent speaking (even if it’s imperfect).
✔ 20% should be spent learning new words and grammar.
At first, you’ll make mistakes. That’s okay! The goal is to train your brain to think in English.
When I started learning Russian, I didn’t spend enough time actually using the language. My progress was slow. But once I forced myself to speak every day—even badly—everything changed. My brain adapted faster, and suddenly, I could have real conversations.
English works the same way. If you want to improve quickly, speak more, study less. Try it for a week—you’ll be surprised how fast your confidence grows!
Ever feel like you can’t quite grasp how English sounds, even though you’ve studied it for years? Let me introduce you to shadowing. It’s a fancy word for a simple exercise—listening to a native speaker and repeating what they say, word for word, in real-time. This technique is especially helpful if your native language is Slavic, where the rhythm of speech is different from English.
When you repeat what you hear, you’re training your brain to pick up the melody of the language. You’re not just learning words—you’re learning how to sound more natural. This process helps you develop your ear for English and get comfortable with how the language flows.
Try this today! Find a YouTube video or podcast with a native speaker. Start with short clips (30 seconds to 1 minute) and try shadowing what they say. Trust me, after a few tries, you’ll notice your pronunciation improving!
I remember when I first tried shadowing in French—it was a mess! But over time, it made all the difference in how I could mimic the flow of the language. Don’t be discouraged by the bumps, they’re part of the fun.
As a native Slovak speaker, have you ever wondered why English feels so different when you speak it? One of the main reasons is that Slavic languages are syllable-timed while English is stress-timed. This means Slovak gives equal time to each syllable, but English doesn’t—some syllables are short, some are long.
Instead of focusing on every word or syllable equally, practice stretching the important words (usually nouns, verbs, or adjectives). For example: Instead of saying, “I want to go to the store,” all in the same rhythm, try: “I waaant to gooo to the stoore.”
Pick a sentence, and try reading it aloud while making certain words longer. Focus on stressed syllables and let the other syllables be quick and soft. You’ll sound more natural and find that English feels smoother!
When I was learning Slovak, I constantly tripped over words because I was trying to give each one the same time. It wasn’t until I focused on the rhythm that speaking became easier. Trust me, English works the same way!